Saturday, October 30, 2010

Want to know the current status of the U.S. Shark Conservation Act sitting in Congress?

Underwater photographer Edward Dorson summarises this bills remarkable voyage through the US Senate and it's sad state of affairs in today's Huff Post.

Edward Dorson - an eloquent and passionate voice for the oceans, and for sharks:

The threat to sharks from finning and to a planet that requires their continued existence isn't half-baked ideology -- it's empirical fact. Studies are consistently revealing that sharks, as apex predators, are essential to regulate species abundance and distribution to maintain healthy oceans. Yet the world's sharks are being slaughtered at an unsustainable rate of 3 per second (estimated at 100 million annually). After capture, shark finners hack off the fins (worth up to $300 a pound) and the less valuable mutilated shark is tossed back to sink and slowly die. This travesty was acted on by our lawmakers a decade ago with the U.S. Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, a legislative milestone that made it illegal to have fins aboard a U.S. registered vessel without the corresponding shark carcasses.

Beginning in October, the Shark-Free Marina Initiative will embark on it’s largest membership campaign throughout the United States and the Bahamas in order to save sharks.

Sharks are disappearing from our oceans at an alarming rate. Therefore, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, and various other organizations have teamed up with the Shark-Free Marina Initiative (SFMI) for a singular, historic purpose: to reduce worldwide shark mortality. SFMI certifies sport fishing and resort marinas as ‘Shark-Free’ thereby prohibiting any shark from being landed at their dock.

“SFMI works directly with the recreational and commercial fishing community to send a clear message,” says Luke Tipple, Managing Director and SFMI founder. “As shark populations are decimated on a global scale we as a species are obligated to pay attention and reduce our wasteful destruction of these incredibly important animals.”

Some very important and influential celebrity spokespeople are also teaming up with SFMI. Fashion photographer and America’s Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker feels strongly that we all have to speak out for sharks. “There are many good fishermen out there who respect the oceans and know that in order to preserve their way of life for future generations we all need to be more aware of our actions and the results they may cause.”

Slash, legendary guitarist and founding member of Guns & Roses and Velvet Revolver adds, “It is important to me as a father and concerned human being, that we do all we can to address the wasteful destruction of these amazing and important animals. We must ensure that sharks are around for future generations.”

Other stars to support the initiative include Alec Baldwin, Elizabeth Berkley and Bill Maher. To read what they have to say, click here.

Shark-Free Marinas has a message that is being heard worldwide. Tipple summarizes “Shark overfishing is a serious problem which threatens the very health of our oceans. It’s time to take a stand and set an example of sensible conservation that can be globally respected and repeated. There is a solution, and it starts at our marinas.”

Down in South Africa, they go for sharks with rod and line - real hammerheads too - and the Durban fishers use whale meat as bait - C/U of two men winding a fishing line around a chunk of meat. M/S of man in tiny boat being given the chunk of meat and an oar. L/S of him paddling out to sea - looks very precarious.

Low angle shot of group of fishermen on the quayside. Children watch. C/U of man lying down on the quayside having a sleep with his hat over his eyes. He has a fishing rod by his legs. M/S of men and women leaning over a sea wall - some fish. C/U of man reeling in what is probably a big fish. M/S of the fish - shark - which he is reeling in. C/U of a penguin standing on a rock. M/S of crowd admiring the man's catch. It is a hammerhead shark which writhes on the ground. Looks pretty bloody. A dog sniffs around it and tries to bite its tail.

This was not always the case and this week the TRS blog launched a multi-part expose on land based shark fishing roots.

The Demons of Durban Part Two

The anglers would load up their newly acquired whale meat and head southward on the railway that lead to the end of Durban's south jetty, with hopes of taming these beasts that constantly patrolled the harbor. But the tackle and techniques these anglers choose to use were somewhat primitive, even for the day and age they were stalking these sharks. The tackle which was most commonly used to try to tame these giants from the rock laden jetty typically consisted of a wooden Scarborough reel, with rods constructed from locally grown bamboo. These outfits usually held anywhere from 600-800 meters of Flax line, which was then proceeded by a 30 meter length of wire or cable trace, that normally would have a dog chain link somewhere along the leader that was closer to the bait and homemade sinker. To deploy these baits off the jetty and into the shipping channel, one angler would typically hold the rod, while another angler would strip anywhere from 20-40 meters of line off the spool of the Scarborough reel, and lie it flat on the surface of the jetty.

A while back when Da Shark discovered David Diley and his remarkable take on a hot button issue for our industry, I was impressed.

David produced a clear and incisive understanding of shark chumming and baiting.

His Op-Ed, from a non industry member, made David a rare commodity.

Rarer still as David has gone on to follow his ultimate dream, "From Office to Ocean," one mans voyage into the world of sharks and conservation.

David is, like so many within our community, following his dream with no funds, having gone deeply into debt to produce the following teaser. Like his Op-Ed it shows a depth of understanding and natural filmmakers talent that cannot be ignored.

This is great stuff, and deserving of funding. We support it and will support David as he continues forward. Raw talent needs help and in the end sharks ultimately benefit.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

In this crazy world of ours fresh crab comes in two varieties. Crab with a "c" (real crab) and krab with a "k" (the fake stuff). Knowing the difference at sushi bars can mean the difference between a $40 sushi bill and a $100 one.

Thanks to an unusual marketing agreement between Japan and China fresh crab with a "c" now comes out of a vending machine.

The Bahamas National Trust formally launched a local shark conservation campaign Tuesday, aimed at pushing the government to create comprehensive regulations to protect the sharks of The Bahamas.

It’s an effort that carries with it a certain sense of urgency, now that The Bahamas is one of only a few locations around the world that can boast of healthy shark populations.

"Right now when you read through the Bahamian fisheries law, even if you would do a search for the word ‘shark’ you wouldn’t find anything,” noted Jill Hepp, manger, Global Shark Conservation, Pew Environment Group, which is working with the BNT on the “Protect the Sharks of the Bahamas” campaign. “You’re starting from a situation where there’s nothing specifically on the books that would prohibit or restrict or manage the shark populations here.”

While sharks are in trouble globally the state of shark populations here are among the best in the world, according to researchers. The relative health of the shark populations in The Bahamas has been attributed to the country’s ban on long-line fishing in the 1990s — combined with the fact that there is no incentive for local fishermen to sell shark meat. Now, shark researchers and conservationists want to make sure that the healthy shark populations in Bahamian waters stay that way.

Underwater Thrills is officially offering a fine bottle (signed) of 2005 Floodplain Proprietor Red from Napa Valley, California to any U.K researcher who can prove without a doubt that the Corkscrew Killer is in fact a man made object or machine.

Latest Update - The Herald

Researchers at the University of St Andrews have dismissed claims that sharks, killer whales, illegal traps, fisheries or even deliberate mutilation could have caused the “corkscrew killings”.

Since August 2009, 33 dead seals have washed up on beaches bearing a single, smooth-edged cut that starts at the head and spirals down the body. The bizarre lacerations were widely attributed to shark attacks.

However, experts at the University’s Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), in conjunction with the RSPCA and the Scottish Agricultural College, have concluded the injuries were most likely caused by the ducted propeller systems on ships operating in shallow coastal waters.

The research leader, Dr David Thompson, said: “Investigations have revealed a number of features that show the injuries are entirely consistent with the animals being sucked through large, ducted propellers.

“Our methods included scaled simulations using models that show how the spiral injuries can be created, as well as fine-scale observation of the injuries themselves that show the lacerations were made by the seals rotating against a smooth edged blade, while being dragged past the blade by a powerful force.

“Most diagnostic of all has been the imprint on some animals of the serrated ‘rope cutter’ that is present on most of these types of ducted propellers to stop ropes getting entangled in the propellers”.

To date, most of the injuries have been seen in the Tay and Forth estuaries, north Norfolk in England and Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.

The injuries involve a severe, sudden and deadly trauma. Both grey and harbour seals have been involved, but the carcasses recovered were mainly harbour seals.

Over the next few months, SFMI will be reaching out to marinas across the world and asking them to get involved by prohibiting sharks from being landed at their dock. So far almost 83 marinas have signed up, and the number is growing each day.

Author and fashion photographer Nigel Barker is a strong supporter of the campaign and says, “There are many good fishermen out there who respect the oceans and know that in order to preserve their way of life for future generations we all need to be more aware of our actions and the results they may cause.”

Yes we do!

“Ecorazzi has played an important role in educating the public about the perilous state of sharks,” says Operations Director Patricia Ragan. “We encourage Ecorazzi readers to contact marinas they know to join the Shark Free Marina Initiative. Together, we can save tens of thousands of sharks!”

In case you missed it the Vancouver Sun in conjunction with Bob Hanner, associate director for the Canadian Barcode of Life, recently took some sharks fin from a series of markets in Vancouver and ran a DNA profile on them.

As we have long said, to combat the global shark fin trade you need to understand it first. One of those critical first steps is not only sampling sharks fin from major trading centers over time, but also analysing the trade routes, distribution centers, online trade, and species connection.

This first step take in Vancouver could also be done in San Francisco, L.A, Las Vegas, just as efficiently.

One of the primary functions of commercial shark diving operators worldwide is to inform and educate the public to the positive side of sharks.

Not everyone does this but when they do good media always follows:

ABC News S.A

HENNIE OTTO: We've got some scientific evidence that chumming doesn't really affect the behaviour of the shark being- making them more accustomed to boats and people, etc - or making them more prone to attack human beings.

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: Hennie Otto from the company Marine Dynamics, which runs Sharkwatch South Africa.

HENNIE OTTO: If the bait line's been pulled away as the animal moves in and that's negative-negative conditioning, if you want to call it that. Um, there's proof that the sharks have been habituated about what we're doing. As soon as you see that they don't get the bait, they usually just swim off. And you rely on constantly new animals coming through on a regular basis for the divers to see them in the cage.

ANDREW GEOGHEGAN: How important is this as far as the tourism's concerned, to actually educate the people about the shark.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Shark overfishing is a serious problem, which threatens the very health of our oceans.

Beginning this month, The Guy Harvey Foundation, The Humane Society of the United Sates and I have teamed up with the Shark-Free Marina Initiative to encourage hundreds of marinas throughout the US and the Bahamas to go ‘Shark-Free” in efforts of saving tens of thousands of sharks each year.

Shark finning and commercial fishing are responsible for the majority of worldwide shark mortality figures, causing these incredible, yet much-maligned creatures to disappear at an alarming rate.

It’s time to take a stand and set an example of sensible conservation that can be globally respected and repeated. There are many good fishermen out there who respect the oceans and know that in order to preserve their way of life for future generations, we all need to become more aware of our actions and the results they may cause.

The SFMI’s singular purpose is to reduce shark mortality. By certifying sport fishing and resort marinas as ‘Shark-Free,’ we can prohibit any shark from landing at these docks, therefore saving lives.

Monday, October 25, 2010

If Chuck Thompson was prize fighter - he would be in the bare knuckles class. As we have been quietly pointing out the shark conservation movement is in trouble when it comes to the plethora of non NGO's who are tackling this global problem.

Not for a lack of deeply held convictions, desire for eco-stardom, media hits, or even petitions.

The movement has plenty of those.

In a recent expose in Guy Harvey Magazine Chuck looks into the shark world, interviewing "the usual volunteer bleeding hearts," to garner non-scientific quotes on the "state of the union" of shark conservation.

The myth that the shark fin trade is run exclusively by Asian mafia. It is not. That misconception has lead many to believe this lawful trade is something sinister, instead of something that can be taken apart by attacking the trade itself.

What's needed is new thinking and a change in tactics because this is eco issue ultimately about trade, not sound bytes, Asians, a soup, or even failed reality television show bids on Animal Planet.

Kudos to Chuck Thompson for the article and the expose. If the movement is serious about saving sharks - it will have to get serious about what it is up against first.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

This was not always the case and this week the TRS blog launched a multi-part expose on land based shark fishing roots.

The Demons of Durban

Early in the twentieth century, in a town which is now known internationally for its history of violent shark attacks, a group of men would fish on the legendary South jetty on the edge of the shipping and whaling lanes for grunters and various other pan fish for table fare. But over the course of the years during the South African whaling season, the anglers would constantly see large numbers of massive sharks that entered the lanes to feast upon the whales scraps that were useless to the whalers, and tossed aside into the harbor's dead end.

Every year between May 1st and September 30th, the jetty would be littered with the anglers of the Durban Shark Club, for the sole fact that this was the time period allotted for hunting the Baleen whales that migrated down the African coast. When the whalers would arrive back to port with their catches in tow, the sharks would be nipping at the heels of the boats and their prize harvest.

Many account have even recorded that up till the moment the entire whale carcass was drug up the whaling chute, that there were Zambezi (Bull) sharks, hanging onto the carcass until the last possible moment to get one last chunk of the rich blubbery flesh before they awaited the return of the next whaler in the fleet.

Got an email from David Shiffman over at the Southern Fried Science Blog today taking about the long running television series CSI. A recent episode featured a supposed Tiger shark (Galeocerdocuvier) munching on a hotel raver in a Las Vegas wading pool.

A freshwater pool.

The video lead in featured all 17 varieties of breast implants, a few vacuous looking extras dancing to a terrible techno beat, a shark researcher in a chain mail suit, and oh yeah, an actual shark attack.

If David is asking for industry opinions on television shows that jump the shark, we would suggest that all the elements are in play for this shows jump, actually leap, into the fine world of Fonzie's last stunt to long running series irrelevance.

What began as a conservation concept generated by the commercial shark diving industry, in reaction to gravid Tiger sharks being taken in the Bahamas for a few images and a pair of jaws, has, in the hands of a skilled and dedicated team - become a full blown reality.

10.20.2010 — Beginning in October, the Shark-Free Marina Initiative will embark on itʼs largest membership campaign throughout the United States and the Bahamas in order to save sharks. Sharks are disappearing from our oceans at an alarming rate. Therefore, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, and various other organizations have teamed up with the Shark-Free Marina Initiative (SFMI) for a singular, historic purpose: to reduce worldwide shark mortality. SFMI certifies sport fishing and resort marinas as ʻShark-Freeʼ thereby prohibiting any shark from being landed at their dock. The SFMI team is being advised by Dr. Bob Hueter, Director of Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory and John Le Coq, co-founder of Fishpond USA.

“SFMI works directly with the recreational and commercial fishing community to send a clear message,” says Luke Tipple, Managing Director and SFMI founder. “As shark populations are decimated on a global scale we as a species are obligated to pay attention and reduce our wasteful destruction of these incredibly important animals.”

Dr. Guy Harvey, Founder of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, supports SFMI with more than just words.”We put our money where our mouth is,” says Dr. Harvey.”Our Big Game Fishing Marina is completely shark free. No caught sharks can be landed here.” Dr. John Grandy, senior vice president, The Humane Society of the United States, enthusiastically supports the SFMI campaign. According to Dr. Grandy: “Although shark finning and commercial fishing are responsible for the majority of worldwide shark mortality figures, this campaign to encourage hundreds of marinas togo shark free can save tens of thousands of sharks each year and change perceptions about this much maligned creature.”

Some very important and influential celebrity spokespeople are also teaming up with SFMI. Fashion photographer and Americaʼs Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker feels strongly that we all have to speak out for sharks. “There are many good fishermen out there who respect the oceans and know that in order to preserve their way of life for future generations we all need to be more aware of our actions and the results they may cause.”

Slash, legendary guitarist and founding member of Guns & Roses and Velvet Revolver adds, “It is important to me as a father and concerned human being, that we do all we can to address the wasteful destruction of these amazing and important animals. We must ensure that sharks are around for future generations.”

Shark-Free Marinas has a message that is being heard worldwide. Tipple summarizes “Shark overfishing is a serious problem which threatens the very health of our oceans. Itʼs time to take a stand and set an example of sensible conservation that can be globally respected and repeated. There is a solution, and it starts at our marinas."

About The Humane Society of the United StatesThe Humane Society of the United States is the nationʼs largest animal protection organization – backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.

About fishpond:fishpond is a worldwide brand of products designed and manufactured for fishing and outdoor enthusiasts. fishpond was created with the philosophy that innovation, design and a responsibility towards the environment from which we draw our inspiration is critical to our success.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Around the world sharks strike fear in ocean swimmers. But while five people die from shark attacks in an average year, millions of sharks are killed through human fishing.

Last month, five Pacific states and territories signed an agreement for the conservation of the creatures.

The agreement was part of the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) memorandum of understanding which aims to conserve shark population numbers.

The memorandum – which is not legally binding – was developed at a United Nations-backed meeting held in February this year.

At the time of the meeting, 11 states signed the agreement while Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands signed the CMS agreement at the 21st meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) held in Papua New Guinea last month.

A significant cause of declining shark numbers is the popularity of shark-fin soup.

PARIS, France -- The Gulf of Mexico oil spill couldn't have occurred at a worse time for bluefin tuna: they had come to the area – a major spawning ground – to produce offspring. Satellites are helping assess the damage from the disaster on the fish's spawning habitat.

The majestic Atlantic bluefin tuna, among the largest fish able to grow the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, come to the Gulf yearly from January to June. Their peak spawning time in the Gulf is April and May – just when some 10 million litres of oil a day was pouring into the water following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig on 20 April.

The commercially valuable fish spawn in surface waters, with females releasing eggs and males following behind to fertilize them. The presence of surface oil could harm eggs, larvae and even adults. With the western Atlantic tuna population's spawning stock declining by 82% over the last 30 years, it is imperative they spawn without disturbance.

Monday, October 18, 2010

At the intersection of of art and ocean conservation one name stands out - Angela Pozzi.

This unique piece is taken from plastic left overs, things that washed up onshore, transforming man made garbage into art forms that educate and inspire future generations to change.

Her garbage fish has received rave reviews internationally and she is hoping that artists will imitate her unique vision around the planet.

Not a bad idea and not just limited to second hand oceanic garbage.

Imagine a full scale white shark model made from sharks fin. The dollar value of that single piece of art would have quite an impact and for the public a profound visual understanding of sheer waste that is the shark fin trade.

There's a space on the Internet for "guys only" offering up the best gadgets, dining, hotels, and adventures from around the planet.

It's called Thrillist and last week SharkDiver was front and center talking shark diving to Thrillist members from Miami to San Diego.

Thrillist.com

Shark Week's about as close as most guys ever get to the beasts, except for those few daredevil divers who ironically can't watch Shark Week, because using a remote requires arms. Just kidding, they're more afraid of you than you are of them!

Ready to sea-whisk you 20 hours away to an island 150 miles off the coast of Baja for "guaranteed" Great White swims, Divers is run by an adventure seeking dude who's braved everything from Australian crocodiles, to Peruvian landslides, to Kiwi cyclones, which unlike sharks, don't leave you alone when you poke them in the eye. Anchoring in the 100+ ft visibility-waters near volcanic Isla Guadalupe (the most active white shark spot in the world after that island off South Africa, and...somewhere else), divers'll descend in 4-5 person, 50sqft cages which are air-supplied via surface hoses (eliminating the need for bulky tanks), and've been newly revamped by removing multiple bars for greater visibility, and compacted to "prevent drag", the biggest one of which would be if they improperly removed those bars.

Pricing has also just this season become all-inclusive, with the fee netting you necessities like Mexican dive permits/vessel accommodations/all equipment, and even-more-necessities like unlimited beer and wine (the hard stuff's BYOB), and gourmet eats including dishes like stuffed pork tenderloin w/ balsamic cranberry reduction and vessel-caught, sesame seed-crusted ahi w/ soy/wasabi dressing, and signature desserts like puff pastry stuffed with fresh berries, and a cake they'll bake for special occasions, like "I just emptied my bank account to go shark diving".

If you prefer to be food, they've also just built a non-caged “cinema platform” for more advanced divers/photographers/death-wishers, which's lowered 40ft into the deep blue sea with absolutely no protection for the diver...though it's not like you'd be able to hold on to it for long anyway.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a popular focal species within the global marine tourism industry. Although this has contributed to increased protection being granted to the species in several countries, tourism itself can be detrimental to the sharks in the absence of appropriate management. Potential impacts can be mitigated, at least in the short term, by adherence to well-designed interaction guidelines.

A burgeoning marine tourism industry based on swimming with whale sharks has developed at Tofo Beach in Mozambique. However, no formal management is currently in place at this site.

The behaviour of whale sharks during interactions with boats and swimmers were recorded during 137 commercial snorkelling trips run from Tofo Beach over a 20 month period. Whale sharks were encountered on 87% of trips, which operated year-round.

Boat proximity and shark size were significant predictors of avoidance behaviour. No avoidance responses were recorded at >20 m boat distance.

The mean in-water interaction time between sharks and swimmers was 8 min 48 s overall. There was a significant decrease in interaction times during encounters where sharks expressed avoidance behaviours, and also in cases where sharks had expressed boat avoidance behaviour before swimmers entered the water.

It is suggested that mean encounter times can be extended through adherence to a basic Code of Conduct for operators and swimmers that enforces minimum distances between the sharks, boats and swimmers. Using encounter time as a measure of the ‘success’ of interactions holds promise, as longer encounters appear to be indicative of lower impacts on sharks while also providing higher customer satisfaction for swimmers.

When chumming becomes illegal, shark tourism operators often find themselves in a tough battle for legitimacy:

Star Advertiser Hawaii

A state judge denied a request to dismiss charges of illegal shark-feeding against a North Shore ocean excursion employee yesterday as protesters rallied at the courthouse.

Pier Diem District Judge Christopher McKenzie set a Dec. 2 hearing at Wahiawa District Court for the five shark-tour employees. A trial is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 20.

Maurice Lee Chalker Jr., Richard Bock Whyte, Nickolas Gargaro and Eric Christopher Nourrie each have been charged with one count of shark feeding. Kohl William Ragragola was charged with two counts.

Each faces a $100 minimum fine, a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to 30 days in jail if convicted.

Attorney Tom Bush, who represents Nourrie, moved to dismiss the charge, but McKenzie denied the request. Nourrie, who was not present, was a deckhand for North Shore Shark Adventures. Bush said Nourrie no longer works for the company.

"We're all surfers, canoe paddlers, and it's a big public safety issue. And it's not because we're anti-business, if they want to conduct their business, then do it legally and stop feeding the sharks," Mahina Chillingworth of Hui O Hee Nalu.

"The shark tours pose no threat to humans, no threat to the sharks. What we have here is a form of eco-tourism which has really been a boon to the state," said attorney Tom Bush.

A handful of shark feeding opponents were at the Wahiawa courthouse to make sure their message was heard.

"We have thousands of signatures from people on the north shore community that oppose this shark feeding," said Chillingworth.

"There is absolutely not one shred of any evidence to show that these shark tours are not in any way , shape, or form endangering anyone," said Bush.

Click on the image for a larger view of the artwork and message. You may also use the link provided to download a PDF version on the bottom.

As you read this these brochures are speeding their way around the USA destined for 1500 marinas around the country. If you would like to recieve a package of 10 brochures please write to staff@sharkfreemarinas.com and tell us where you plan to hand them out. We suggest going into your local marina, dive shop, tackle store or classroom to talk about the need to protect our sharks.

A very special thanks to all who were involved especially those who let us use their names, message and artwork.

While this review goes a long way to addressing the health of a badly hooked shark during Dr. Domeiers tenure at the Farallones, it fails to address many of the root problems with this entire episode.

The stakes for this review are high as these sharks are a protected species, in a National Marine Sanctuary with a long history of pro-shark protectionism that has, over the years, enabled a series of deeply restrictive rules and regulations regarding commercial and public shark viewing at this site.

Questions regarding who was baiting white sharks at the time, who designed the hooks, shark hooking protocol, and many more are left unanswered in this review.

In fact the very nature of this "research" is in question as the research vessel, crew, and funding for this "research" came from Chris Fischer with Fischer Productions who was, at the time, shooting the entire effort for a multi-part National Geographic series called Shark Men.

Within the film and television community this production was considered one of the largest of it's kind. The stakes for National Geographic and for Fischer Productions were high. The series has gone on to be very successful commercially for Fischer Productions and National Geographic television.

The Farallones Manager Maria Brown and her staff knew this. What she signed off on was a hybrid operation comprised of members of Dr.Domeiers staff and that of a film and television production crew.

Never in the history of the sanctuary system, as far as we know, has such a crew been given the green light to bait (with whale meat) and hook a protected species within the boundaries of a National Marine Sanctuary, and no where in the recently released independent review is there mention of this.

So, what ultimately happened?

We might never know. The simple fact is the underpinnings of this review needs to address how the future of shark science is done within a National Marine Sanctuary. If commercial shark diving companies cannot bait, tow decoys, or even be within 164 feet of a white shark then the rules regarding hybrid film and television productions that are doing invasive shark research should be even more restrictive.

Or should they?

There's a white shark with 3/4 of a hook embedded in it's throat right now, a hook the size of a small dinner pan and to this day we have no idea who was on the other end of that baited line. Was that person a production member, or a scientist?

That this shark is still alive should come as some measure of relief to those who signed off on this project.

The fact that the recently released independent review makes no mention of this film and television production with its "trained staff" operating within a National Marine Sanctuary bodes badly for the future of the sanctuary program in general. It also speaks to the continued poor decision making of allowing Hollywood productions to conduct invasive shark research.

The porbeagle is one of the top marine predators in the North Atlantic. However, little is known about its biology, abundance, or spatial ecology there. Results are presented on the migration and behaviour of three porbeagles tagged with archival pop-up tags off Ireland between September 2008 and January 2009. One shark migrated >2400 km to the northwest of Morocco, residing around the Bay of Biscay for approximately 30 days. The other two remained more localized in off-shelf regions around the Celtic Sea/Bay of Biscay and off western Ireland. The sharks occupied a broad vertical depth range (0–700 m) and a relatively limited temperature range (∼9–17°C), with notable variations in diving behaviour between individual sharks. There were distinct day–night differences in depth distribution, each shark being positioned higher in the water column by night than by day. Night-time depth distribution also appeared to be driven by the lunar cycle during broad-scale migration through oceanic waters. Our results show that porbeagles occupy and traverse regions of high fishing activity where they are potentially vulnerable to population depletion. Such large-scale movement outside the ICES Area underlines the need for international coordination in their assessment and management.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Loggerhead Club and Marinas, operated by Seven Kings Holdings group, have today made a corporate decision to join Shark-Free Marinas. This means that all 13 locations are now registered with SFMI.

There will shortly be an official press release regarding this decision but we would like to extend a peremptory congratulations for being the first corporately owned chain of marinas to join SFMI.

It's not surprising that Loggerhead signed on, after all they already participate in the Florida Clean Marinas program and regularly participate in environmental programs concerning Floridas waterways.

You can see the list of their marinas in our USA business listing here.

Outstanding news from Australia this week as one of the largest of its kind shark tagging projects gets the green light to go ahead:

Scientists from James Cook University will carry out the three-year project, the largest of its kind carried out in 20 years, to determine how to balance shark fishing with supporting stocks in northern waters.

JCU fisheries researcher Andrew Tobin said the project was a necessary step for the long-term sustainability of both the sharks and the fishery.

"Sharks are harvested because shark fillet, often sold as flake, is an important and valuable product within the domestic seafood trade," Dr Tobin said.

If you want to know about the mysterious world of the Greenland Shark look no further then the fine researchers over at GEERG.

The mission of GEERG is to study the Greenland shark and other northern shark species in their natural environment. The results of our work are made available to the scientific community and to the general public, in particular to divers, academic institutions, schools and museums. Sharks are crucial to the world ocean's equilibrium.As the prime suspect in the evolving Corkscrew Killer mystery in the U.K, the Greenland Sharks reputation might be misinterpreted, says Jeffrey Gallant, who wrote an Op Ed on the mystery back in June.

With the stunning news last month that shark finning was being "looked into" by a seafood export company based in the Bahamas, a counter series of conservation media hits by Wolfgang Leander and others have been highlighting Bahamas sharks as a sustainable resource trying to fend off further shark fin discussions in the region.

Now an expedition with Dr. Guy Harvey and Jim Abernathy is providing a much needed media lift to this discussion by documenting Bahamas sharks.

Monday, October 11, 2010

That Travel Chick aka Fort Lauderdale's Amanda joined us at Guadalupe Island in 2010 for the ultimate shark encounter. This is Part Four in her ongoing series diving with great whites and Shark Diver.

Her travel series is a must read for budding shark fans worldwide:Day 2 Diving with Great Whites with a Full BREACH!

Another day starts before the break of dawn. It’s nice getting up and relaxing a bit before they drop the cages in the water. I opted to do shark watch again so that I get extra time in the cages. I went light for breakfast again which is fine. The everything bagels are sooooo good.

I decided that there is never enough suit juice because it’s still a bitch getting into the wetsuit. I spend so much energy trying to get my ass in it. Tomorrow I’m just pouring it all out on myself. Hahaha… I am in the cage by 745am. Not as early as I like but still. Brian was in before me and came out just as I was going in. Nothing happened but the mackerel were plentiful. As soon as the first shift came in the sharks started coming around. I think they may like us. I was in the cage for 2.5 hours straight. I am pretty sure I turned into a human popsicle. I had major camera malfunctions though. My HD camera ended up getting water in it. Stupid lock. They always fail. And the trigger button was getting stuck on my camera case. So I would have to turn it off and aim and then turn on to take a pic. Sucked but did the job till I got out. We got to see quite a few sea lions and sharks together. 3 and 3. That was quite intense to tell you the truth. I wasn’t sure if a sea lion was going to get picked off or not. Did see him hunt and catch a few mackerel which was quite amazing. We all came out of that cage and was like OMG.. that was amazing. I quickly went for the hot water to warm up a bit till the next shift. I wanted as much time in the morning as possible as its when the viz and sharks are plentiful.

So as we are getting ready for the next shift a few of us are watching the sea lions play and frolic in the water, I look to the back of the boat and no more than 5’ away from the cage does a friggin great white shark breach. FULL OUT OF THE WATER BREACH! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. This massive creature came up for no other reason than to show off for us. He came straight up, flattened out and dipped down his snout to do a semi-belly flop down. The few of us that saw us, were shouting, screaming, clapping and reliving the moment. Doug came up from the cage and was like OMG… did you see that. He actually got to see him rev up and gain speed to jump out. The rest were all busy looking the other direction at the sea lions. That moment right there was the icing on the cake. We have already exceeded all expectations of the trip by seeing more than the usual number of sharks and now we see a FULL ON BREACH. Yeah. Life is great right now. Of course the few of us are like ok well why don’t we just see a predation and add the cherry to the top. That would be quite amazing but the only killing we have seen are the seals getting mackerel or the damn seagulls getting our chum.

We go in for our last shift of the day and the water is getting a bit more murky and the waves are kicking us around a bit more but we still see a few sharks swimming around and now there are about 10 sea lions around us chasing after the mackerel and just playing and pissing of the sharks where they aren’t coming as close to us. However, one of the sea lions got so close to me that was able to reach out and touch him. That was pretty neat. I probably screwed up his feeding but I was happy.

Come out of the water and I am done for the day. Freezing my arse off and ready to bask in the sun. Which I did til the appetizers came out. It was pineapple, I had to move for that. I was chillin on the sun deck with my cell mates which seems to be a regular occurrence for the 3 of us to do. They are pretty awesome people. I am very happy that I get to share all these moments with them.

Appetizers are amazing. Dinner was the best I’ve had in a while. They grilled up some rib-eyes with a great marinade, cooked to my liking with asparagus and smashed potatoes. I couldn’t get enough but my stomach wouldn’t allow me to finish. Then they sang happy birthday to me and as a candle used a glow stick in my apple pie and ice cream. Best pre-birthday ever. Since we’ll be on the water tomorrow and probably barfing our brains out they figured they would celebrate tonight. I was very touched. This crew busts their ass and they are just great all around people.

The night of course ended out on the back decks with many laughs and stories and smoking. Followed by a B-movie night in the galley by Bruce Campbell. I watched some and it was hilarious. I gotta rent Army of Darkness now.

It’s been quite an amazing day. The best day of my life actually. I’ve seen everything I’ve ever wanted to and dreamed of since I was 7. I’m actually in tears just thinking about it because it’s just a feeling of accomplishment. I came on this trip hoping to find answers to something and I feel pretty damn complete in my life right now. Starting up a new business. Moving in a different direction. It’s all pretty damn scary but I know I can handle just about anything. I always have. It would be nice if it was handed to me but I probably wouldn’t appreciate as much. So I’ll work hard and accomplish my goal that I have set out and by this time next year I hope to be right here celebrating how far I have come. It’s in writing, I have to succeed.

One of the unintended consequences of commercial shark diving done right, are the legions of pro-shark advocates that go out into the world to change hearts and minds about sharks...one media hit at a time.

One of these is newly minted Shark Diver John D Iles, who joined us in 2010 at Isla Guadalupe to meet the great white shark.

John got what he was looking for and became a true shark advocate, in a way that only those who have actually stared into the eyes of a great white can.

This week he appeared in the Star-Herald to talk about his first hand experiences with sharks, shark diving, and the need for conservation.

Here's an excerpt:

What upsets Iles more than “Jaws” is the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” programming.

“Shark Week is more of an enemy to sharks than ‘Jaws,’” he said. “‘Jaws’ is a movie and a work of fiction. When a supposedly educational network airs ‘Victims’ and ‘Worst Bite,’ it’s making it seem like ‘Jaws’ is true after all.”

Editors Note: Thanks John for the media and thanks for standing up for the sharks, we could use about 100,000 more just like you.

Facebook was center stage last week for a story coming out of Australia and Rodney Foxes operation. A white shark named Strappy became entangled in a packing strap which was slowly cutting the shark in half.

In a first rate PSA by the Foxes they highlighted the need for cleaner oceans by featuring Strappy and the damage being done to him by one industrial packing strap. There was some talk of trying to cut the strap off this animal. No mean feat, as white sharks are notorious for not wanting to be touched.

This week The Dorsal Fin blog has the update on Strappy and a rescue operation that was successful. As it turns out Andrew Fox manged to release Strappy from his confinement and it is hoped that now this shark will live for many more years to come.

Kudos to the Fox operation for:

1. Providing an oceans PSA using Strappy as cause célèbre

2. Helping this animal at great personal risk

This is first rate work by a commercial shark diving operator who has lead the industry over the years.

AN East Neuk man thinks he may have solved the mystery as to why dozens of dead seals have been found washed up on the Fife coast.

Donald Low, the relief harbour master at Pittenweem, contacted the Mail to say he thinks there may be a vicious shark on the prowl after a number of the mammals were found with mysterious cuts.

'The Seal Ripper' focused on the unexplained deaths of seals, which were found with 'corkscrew like cuts' near a remote Atlantic island. Whilst filming the programme its makers discovered they were actually being killed by the Greenland Shark, which can grow to 24ft long.

Normally a native of Greenland and Iceland the sharks are thought to be moving into shallower waters in a desperate bid to find food.

For the next 6 weeks the Undersea Voyager Project will be at depth in and around targets on Catalina Island. This is video from one of their first targets, a vintage CIA Lockout Chamber when, during the Cold War, listening stations to track Soviet era submarines were stationed all over the oceans.

Submarine commander Scott Cassell will also be looking for unique shark species as well:

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The revelation this week that Sea Shepherd actually lies, fabricates and manipulates media, and has a zero effective rate at saving wildlife should come as no surprise to the readers of this blog.

For the past two years, and much to the SSCS faithfuls consternation, we have been deconstructing the Sea Shepherd Media Myth in a series of ongoing posts. Detailing the millions of donor dollars lost or squandered by SSCS, the actual SSCS media distortions and fabrications, and calling into question SSCS claims of saved wildlife.

To be fair, we were once full fledged supporters of SSCS and Paul Watson's seemingly take no prisoners brand of Direct Action. All that ended with the "shot that never was," wherein Paul Watson fabricated, out of whole cloth, the myth that Japanese whalers shot him dramatically in the chest during season one of Whale Wars.

Call it what you will, this myth, lie, fabrication, staged media moment, was lapped up by a series of green blogs and Facebook groups as consummate fact, transforming a horrific lie into a myopic truth, which then perpetrated a nasty racist backlash directed at Japan and Japanese people from around the world.

Our support ended there as credibility with NGOs is something we hold sacrosanct.

To be effective you have to be a credible source.

SSCS has sold (cheaply) every shred of dignity, credibility, and the public's trust to grease the wheels of a bloated media machine that has very little to do with wildlife conservation and everything to do with glitzy Hollywood parties, $60 vegan appetisers, and a somewhat dubious reality television show now into its third season.

There's no doubt that whaling needs to end.

Into that conversation stepped Sea Shepherd who have hijacked the global conservation movement and created a new toxic paradigm for what conservation is, bending the ideal of actual constructive work and metrics for success into a series of inane staged stunts. In the process they have created many "SSCS Lite" conservationists who believe that anything goes in the world of conservation. In this dark place metrics for actual success are a distant goal.

While Rome burns, Paul Watson and his entire media troupe fiddle around with faked press releases, staged media moments, and outright media lies. As if any of this will stop a harpoon with an explosive tip ripping though a whale, or the sharp tip of a Hakapik into a seal, or the rusty blade of knife through a sharks fin.

Demand more from your conservation org. After 25+ years Paul Watson has no conservation victories to his or his organizations credit, every single wildlife issue he has tackled is still ongoing, and your donations perpetrate more of the same in a rudderless and increasingly hysterical conservation organization that should depart the world scene - soon.

In 1978 a younger, slimmer, more idealistic Paul Watson blew the whistle on Greenpeace, much like Peter Bethune did this week with Sea Shepherd. In this video Watson details the stark reality behind Direct Action conservation campaigns with open ended commitments.

In this video Watson is also revealing Sea Shepherds unpleasant reality as it stands today when "the organization becomes more important then the issue."

Monday, October 4, 2010

That Travel Chick aka Fort Lauderdale's Amanda joined us at Guadalupe Island in 2010 for the ultimate shark encounter. This is Part Three in her ongoing series diving with great whites and Shark Diver.

Her travel series is a must read for budding shark fans worldwide:Day 1 of great white shark diving in Guadalupe Islands

I wake up before the butt crack of dawn. We have arrived at Guadalupe islands at 330am. I am up at 5am. I get to watch them put the cages in, the sun come up sorta and have a light breakfast of a bagel. I am anxious to get in the water but first we have to get our safety study course as well as tell us who our cell mates are and what rotation we are on.

My cell mates are Souxie, my roommate, and Brian Taylor who is in the Air Force. He is an airplane maintenance guy who is stationed in Korea and hopes to move back to the states with the next shift. I’m excited to have these 2 with me. The first shark sighting was at 733am. It’s very exciting to hear the crew yelling ‘SHAAAAAAAARK”…. Everyone runs to one side of the boat and then to the other to see him pop out. Our shift finally starts at 10am where we are on first rotation.. woohoo. SCORE. It normally starts at 8am but we had to get the dos and don’t of the cage and such. I’m last in and get a run down of what to do. They first of all weigh you down with at least 40lbs of weight since you want to sink not float, wear a 7mm suit with hoodies and booties. Water is still freaking cold with it all on.

We get in and almost instantly see a shark. We saw up to 4 at one time. A sea lion was literally playing TAG with the shark. Quite amusing. I guess element of surprise gig is up and they aren’t a meal know. It was quite funny to see them both interacting with each other. Lots of tuna which just made me want sushi. We had the sharks swimming so close to the cage. I even had a chance to stare down Jacques right into the eye and see his blue outer ring. Great whites have blue eyes. I never knew that. Maybe we are related. Hehehehe… I can be an apex predator. Well ok maybe not. The first time seeing a Great white I thought I would feel a bit scared but instead I felt peacefulness and calm. No adrenaline pumping. It was just breath-taking. They move so gracefully through the water and are cruising. Nothing menacing about them. They didn’t come up close to the cage till next time when Dottie was around as she was all up in the cage’s space. Jacques also was quite comfortable being around the cage. I only felt a little uncomfortable with the regulator. Luckily Martin, the dive master, was there to instruct me and give me a refresher. I am so used to snorkeling now.

The hour just seemed to fly by. It was terrific that we got to go in the first shift. Getting out with the massive amounts of weights was tricky but doable. The time out of the water was mostly spent on the sun deck passed out till you hear “15 minutes to next rotation”. We instantly jump up and head on down to try and squeeze into our wetsuits. I tend to put on suit juice so I can slide ride in. Each time we were in, we saw no less than 2 sharks. As the day went on the viz went down and so did the quantity of time the sharks spent with us. The water was freezing to me but as soon as those sharks start coming by and you lock eyes with them, all that rocking and freezing water in my suit goes away. It truly is the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had with an animal. It’s everything I could have dreamed of and more.

We even had the opportunity to see a sea lion that would frolic and even swim up next to the shark. It seemed to be a pretty decent size which means that it’s older and knows what it can and can’t get away with. It was really quite amazing to see it interact and somewhat harass him.

At the end of the day Martin takes in all the photos and helps identify all those that we have seen. Turns out we have seen 12. All of which he could identify easily. 2 of which hasn’t been seen since 2007 and 2008. It’s nice to know that they come back. Though not once did any of the sharks of a transmitter from the show The Great White Expedition which as it turns out has been going on since 2002. I did not know that.